24.03.17
Total Transport schemes could deliver NHS annual savings of £74.5m
Around £74.5m worth of savings is being missed by NHS trusts due to the costs of patients missing appointments because of slow transport to hospitals, a new report has claimed.
In the research, conducted by an alliance of local transport authorities and the Community Transport Association and produced by the Urban Transport Group, huge efficiencies were identified from the NHS participating in fully ‘Total Transport’ schemes which would ensure that Non-Emergency Patient Transport (NEPT) provision was operated more efficiently using pooled budgets and vehicle fleets that could span social services, education and mainstream public transport provision.
It was also noted that the NHS loses approximately £750m per year on missed hospital appointments, 37% of which were missed due to patient transport over the last two years.
Should the NHS prevent just 10% of the 5.6 million missed hospital appointments, savings of £74.5 million could be achieved annually, the study authors claim.
The report explained how the new model would work with different public services sharing vehicles and budgets: “A Total Transport approach co-ordinated by local authorities could bring a wealth of expertise and experience to the delivery of NEPT.
“Local authority transport teams are specialists in transport planning and have an extensive knowledge of what transport services are in operation across the piece. They are also experienced in procuring and managing cost-effective accessible transport, including that requiring a care component.
“Indeed, whilst it is usually commissioned by the NHS, NEPT has more in common with the social care transport commissioned by local authorities or with community transport than it does with emergency ambulances.”
It also went on to say: “Evidence suggests that taking a ‘Total Transport’ approach to NEPT has the potential to deliver these savings through the sharing of expertise and resources.
“It could help ensure that patients are provided with vehicles suited to their needs; that fleets owned and commissioned by the public sector are fully utilised; and that patients get to and from where they need to be in a timely manner.”
Dr Jon Lamonte, chief executive of TfGM, who leads for the Urban Transport Group on transport and health, said: “With a growing base of evidence and experience to draw upon and at a time when public funding is particularly tight, Total Transport is an opportunity that needs to be embraced at the highest levels of government, the NHS and local authorities.”
Dr Lamonte added that while examples of good practice on Total Transport did exist, there was still a great deal of work to be done.
“We stand ready to work with our colleagues in the health sector to realise the opportunities to provide better access to healthcare at less cost to the taxpayer,” he said.
Peter Hardy, lead on Total Transport for the Association of Transport Coordinating Officers, added that the organisation has long recognised the benefits of integrated approaches to the planning and provision of different types of transport services.
“As practitioners, local government professionals have achieved efficiencies and improved services by jointly planning local bus services, education and social care transport,” explained Hardy. “The final piece of the jigsaw is to work with the health sector to achieve similar benefits and patient transport that is effective in meeting users' needs. Hopefully, this report provides some pointers to help achieve this.”
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